1.Highland Council wants GM-free animal feed
2.More Woolas BS
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1.Highland Council wants GM-free animal feed
Please see the press release below. Any further enquiries contact Cllr. Maxine Smith, the SNP [Scottish National Party] Council Group's Chief Whip on 07751 227367 or the appropriate spokesperson.
P R E S S R E L E A S E
SNP COUNCIL GROUP
At today's (4/9/08) Full Council meeting the SNP's Councillor Maxine Smith, Cromarty Firth ward gained commitment from the Convener, Councillor Sandy Park that the Council would be actively represented at the 2nd International Non-Genetically Modified Food and Soy Summit in Brussels in October.
Cllr. Park guaranteed that Highland Council would be "very involved in this summit". After the meeting Cllr. Smith welcomed the news saying, "The SNP group will continue to monitor this issue and given the farming land mass in the Highlands and Islands it is of prime importance to this region and we urgently need to find alternatives in animal feed to ensure that the quality food products used in Scotland are GM free."
Data was presented at the last EU Summit challenging the doomsday scenarios from within the EU Commission regarding the availability of feed ingredients. The data found that Brazil's production is already sufficient on its own and can meet Europe's demands several times over, not to mention the substantial growing supplies which are also available from India, Chin a and some Eastern European countries.
"I would therefore like to see our Highland Council representatives playing a huge role in this debate and it is vital that the new Administration keep us fully informed every step of the way in this strategic debate," said Cllr. Smith.
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2.More Woolas BS
[GMW: Our title. Letter taken from the letters page of the Blackmore Vale Magazine (BVM), for week of September 5]
The BVM reported recently that Government Science Minister Ian Pearson was asked by North Dorset MP Robert Walter, just what Sir David King, the former Chief scientific adviser, was on about when he broadcast to the nation last autumn that boosts in maize yield in Africa were down to genetically modified crops. In fact, the crop system responsible uses conventional plants to keep away pests. King had made an honest mistake, Pearson said.... [as King admitted] in the pages of the "Daily Mail on 18 December, 2007"
Now, here we go again. Government environment minister Phil Woolas is claiming that HRH Prince Charles in his recent interview with Jeff Randall linked GM crops to climate change. In fact the Prince did nothing of the sort, as anyone that listened to the interview will know. The Prince in fact highlighted that a concentration on biotechnology and industrial farming -- with high energy inputs and an increasing use of chemicals based on fossil fuel feedstocks -- was linked to increased greenhouse gas emissions and hence with climate change.
One wonders if the minister will revise his statement on the record, and apologise to the Prince, or maybe HRH will just have to keep an eye on the Daily Mail.
Jane O'Meara
Spokesperson for The GM- Free Dorset Campaign.